4.0
Children of God
ByPublisher Description
In Children of God, Mary Doria Russell further establishes herself as one of the most innovative, entertaining and philosophically provocative novelists writing today.
The only member of the original mission to the planet Rakhat to return to Earth, Father Emilio Sandoz has barely begun to recover from his ordeal when the So-ciety of Jesus calls upon him for help in preparing for another mission to Alpha Centauri. Despite his objections and fear, he cannot escape his past or the future.
Old friends, new discoveries and difficult questions await Emilio as he struggles for inner peace and understanding in a moral universe whose boundaries now extend beyond the solar system and whose future lies with children born in a faraway place.
Strikingly original, richly plotted, replete with memorable characters and filled with humanity and humor, Children of God is an unforgettable and uplifting novel that is a potent successor to The Sparrow and a startlingly imaginative adventure for newcomers to Mary Doria Russell’s special literary magic.
The only member of the original mission to the planet Rakhat to return to Earth, Father Emilio Sandoz has barely begun to recover from his ordeal when the So-ciety of Jesus calls upon him for help in preparing for another mission to Alpha Centauri. Despite his objections and fear, he cannot escape his past or the future.
Old friends, new discoveries and difficult questions await Emilio as he struggles for inner peace and understanding in a moral universe whose boundaries now extend beyond the solar system and whose future lies with children born in a faraway place.
Strikingly original, richly plotted, replete with memorable characters and filled with humanity and humor, Children of God is an unforgettable and uplifting novel that is a potent successor to The Sparrow and a startlingly imaginative adventure for newcomers to Mary Doria Russell’s special literary magic.
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4.0
Ellen Harrington
Created 7 days agoShare
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🍄✨️Meena📚🏔
Created 17 days agoShare
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“I finished the first book in this series so shocked and sad but the sequel tied up loose ends. What a beautiful book about faith & life. Just amazing! Going back to Rakhat and learning about the people...perfect!”Diegdog
Created about 2 months agoShare
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“A stunning sequel to “The Sparrow”. Where the first novel deals with the problem of suffering, this one dives deeper and seeks to explore the challenge of reconciliation: When the magnitude of our pain reaches unbearable heights, are we justified in seeking retribution? Do our past sins bar us from future mercy? Must future generations pay the consequences of their ancestors? When everyone has wronged someone else, how do you find your way to forgiveness?
I respect how Mary Doria Russell doubles down on asking the hard questions through the messy lives of these characters (and boy are they messed up). None of the main characters followed paths I could have anticipated from the outset, each showcasing the mosaic of virtue and vice that forms a life. Perhaps Emilio is the only one who could claim innocence, and my heart broke time and again as he descended further and further into agony right as he was at the cusp of receiving a normal life. I can understand if others don’t like the conclusion to his arc but I personally resonated with his eventual acceptance, peace, and outlook.
The story is by no means perfect, especially in the way it goes back and forth in time. I was also disappointed by how Isaac was basically sidelined for most of the story until the very end (so much lost potential imo). Despite these critiques, “The Sparrow” and “Children of God” jointly form my favorite story ever for its themes, fleshed-out characters, and thoughtful storyline.
"There's a passage in Exodus-God tells Moses, 'No one can see My face, but I will protect you with My hand until I have passed by you, and then I will remove My hand and you will see My back.’ […] I wonder now if it isn't really about time? Maybe that was God's way of telling us that we can never know His intentions, but as time goes on... we'll understand. We'll see where He was: we’ll see His back.””BelievableChange and growDiverse representationMemorableMinor characters stand outMultilayeredRelatableStrong relationshipsAction-packedAddictiveClever plottingLoose endsNonlinear narrativeSatisfying conclusionSlow start, strong finishUneven pacingAtmosphericBeautifulEnchantedEvocative imageryExpansiveIdyllicImmersive world-buildingOtherworldlySetting fits the storyUnique locationVivid descriptionsBeautifully-writtenDescriptiveOriginalTakes getting used toAbuseDeathMurderViolenceWar violence
Cat Clay
Created about 2 months agoShare
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About Mary Doria Russell
Trained as a paleoanthropologist and the author of scientific articles on subjects ranging from bone biology to cannibalism, Mary Doria Russell received her B.A. in cultural anthropology from the University of Illinois, her M.A. in social anthropology from Northeastern Univer-sity and her doctorate in biological anthropology from the University of Michigan. She lives in Cleveland, Ohio, with her husband and their son and is at work on her third novel.
A Selection of the Book-of-the-Month Club
A Selection of the Book-of-the-Month Club
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